Professor Thropp
by Penelope Lane
Summary: Elphaba is recruited by Dumbledore to teach Care of Magical Creatures while Hagrid is away in search of giants. She meets a certain professor at Hogwarts who is very much like her....


From a spark of imagination. Let's see where it goes. Wicked is a cross between the musical and the book. Elphaba's characterization is more musical and there is no Liir. Over at the Wicked thread they're really into making new words to describe ships. So i'll come up with... Sevephaba. Can you guess what pairing this story will include?

Elphaba sat in her room, locked away from Fiyero's wife and her sisters. She wasn't quite sure why she was at Kaimo Ko but she enjoyed the solitude the giant castle allotted her. The night mountain air whistled through the cracks in the stone walls. An unfamiliar cry echoed from the peaks. It was a bird she'd not recognized. Elphaba listened for a moment and then resumed her smoking of her beehive.

As she tended to her bees, a Great Horned Owl flew in through her window. Being that there were no Great Horned Owls in all of Oz, Elphaba was startled to say the least.

"Where did you come from?" She cried, disbelieving.

The creature landed right on a nearby table, dropping a letter into her hands. Elphaba looked at the envelope cautiously, never having received mail from an unknown source in her life. With a clicking of its beak, the owl urged her to open it. Elphaba torn at the letter, revealing a note in a broad hand.

Dear Miss Elphaba Thropp,

I have done extensive research in my world and in yours to find a suitable teacher to replace our Care of Magical Creatures Professor, Rubeus Hagrid, who is on an important mission for most of the school year. My connections have pointed me toward you and I daresay the post owl is probably in dire need of water and food. I trust, given your background, that you will oblige.

Let me introduce myself. My name is Albus Dumbledore and I am the Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It is located far, far from your home and you will most definitely need a broom to get here. The owl can lead you. If you do choose to accept this position, I will make sure that all of your personal belongings will be delivered to your office and living quarters.

I can promise you unsurpassable room and board with an excellent salary. I understand your need for privacy as we have some Hogwarts staff who tend to keep to themselves. I can assure you that you will not be bothered but only for your teaching duties. These duties include teaching the basics of Magical Animal Care, magical animal anatomy, magical animal uses in wizardry and witchcraft and an elective course corresponding with your knowledge of your own creatures in your land of Oz.

Please consider this position I offer you. Simply return on broomstick with the post owl and ask for me upon your arrival at Hogwarts. I do hope to see you soon,

Sincerely,

Albus Dumbledore

Elphaba stared at the letter blankly. It was most unusual. Where was Hogwarts? Certainly outside of Oz! But had anyone but the Wizard been outside? How had this Dumbledore come to find her? It seemed highly suspicious.

The letter and the recooperating owl sat on her table for a day. Elphaba sneered at the letter each time she passed, thinking it preposterous to teach. But on the third day, Elphaba picked up and read the letter again. Hogwarts was far away. Maybe she needed a change. Her life was on the precipice of nothingness if she stayed in the Vinknus. Perhaps this move would be good for her. After all, what was she staying in Oz for? She could take her animals, her belongings. The Grimmerie. She could possibly build a new life at this so called Hogwarts.

On that balmy, breezy summer night, with the Horned Owl cradled in her arms, she climbed atop her tempermental broom and whizzed off into the stars. Revived by the night air, the owl hooted once and began to fly beside her, guiding her all the way to the gates of Hogwarts. The sun was just rising.

Exhausted and starving, Elphaba dismounted her broom and strode toward the gate, which was locked. A man with a long white beard came bounding out of the front doors. He was running to her happily.

"I'm so glad you've decided to come!" He cried merrily, unlocking the gates with a wave of his wand, "I've had such a time trying to find Hagrid's replacement. Many qualified teachers around here don't want to seem to ...teach...now...anyway, come in! Come in Miss Thropp!"

Elphaba cocked an eyebrow and looked at him warily.

"I am Albus Dumbledore," he stated, with a small bow. "It is a pleasure to meet you. I wrote to Shiz University to see if they could spare any teachers for me for a year. Seems the subject of animals is a sore spot for them, eh? I would almost say that they wanted you out of Oz."

"That seems about right." Elphaba seethed. "I trust you treat animals differently?"

"Yes, oh yes," Dumbledore replied, leading her into the entrance hall of Hogwarts, "in our world, there are no Animals, just animals. They are immensely helpful in our form of magic. Which reminds me--I must send you to Diagon Alley to get a wand."

"A wand?" Elphaba smirked. Wands were for fairy tales and hacks!

"Yes," Dumbledore smiled, sensing Elphaba's skepticism, "your brand of magic won't work here I'm afraid without a wand. Anyway, please step this way---oh and here is a colleague with whom you may be working. Elphaba Thropp, this is Professor Severus Snape, Potions Master."


End file.
